Douglas Alexander MP has met with Usdaw representatives, including Scottish Secretary Tony Doonan, during a visit to the Mid Road Co-op store in Prestonpans to back the union’s annual Respect Week.
At the start of the week, which runs from 10 to 16 November, Usdaw revealed shocking statistics showing continuing unacceptable levels of verbal abuse, threats and assaults against retail staff.
Interim results from over 3,000 retail staff responses show that in the last 12 months 71% have experienced verbal abuse, 48% were threatened by a customer and nearly one in ten were assaulted at work.
While these figures were slightly down on the previous year, the union is continuing to raise awareness of its year-round ‘Freedom from Fear’ campaign by talking to the public to promote a message of ‘respect for retail workers’.
Douglas Alexander MP said:
“Retail staff are essential workers on the frontline of serving our communities and deserve to be treated with respect. I have always supported Usdaw’s Freedom from Fear campaign and was pleased to visit the Co-op store in Prestonpans and show my support for this year’s Respect Week.
“In the last 12 months, the UK Government has invested in specific projects to tackle retail crime, and that appears to be having an effect in some areas. But levels of violence and abuse remain unacceptably high which is why the respect message remains so important, especially as we head into the busiest shopping time of the year.”
Joanne Thomas – Usdaw general secretary said:
“This week, Usdaw activists will be campaigning in their workplaces and communities, calling on the shopping public to ‘respect shop workers’ and ‘keep your cool’, particularly in the run up to Christmas when the number of incidents increases as shops get busy and customers become frustrated. This is a hugely important issue for our members and they are saying loud and clear that enough is enough.”
Usdaw’s Freedom From Fear Campaign seeks to prevent violence, threats and abuse against workers by engaging the public, shop workers and the Government.
Find out more about the campaign at www.usdaw.org.uk/Campaigns/Freedom-From-Fear